The James Harden-Clippers trade came as a surprise to no one since he had been campaigning for it for months, and Doc Rivers has recently revealed some interesting information about the deal.
After a rocky five-game losing streak to begin Harden’s tenure with LAC, people were beginning to question whether the trade was a good idea or not.
Having four All-Star veterans on the one team – Kawhi Leonard, Harden, Paul George and Russell Westbrook could have spelled a recipe for disaster.
But the Clippers had faith, largely thanks to Doc.
“I was the one, obviously, they consulted,” Doc Rivers told ClutchPoints.“They made calls and I was one of the guys who said it would be a great deal for them because I thought he fit them better than he would fit the Sixers team. I think he’s a perfect fit there.
“It’s a league. We talk. They just talked, asked questions, and I was on board early.”
Despite the less than ideal start with Harden, the Clippers have since found their groove and are using their veterans perfectly.
The franchise has a 36-17 record on the season and Kawhi and George are one of the best duos in the league – simply because having Harden in the lineup has taken the load off of the two injury prone stars.
Rivers praised LAC head coach Ty Lue for his ability to handle a difficult situationbringing so many different kinds of All-Star veterans together on the one team to make it work.
“He’s done a terrific job. Ty is obviously he’s a sensational coach. I knew he was going to be. I’m the one who hired him. So every time I see him do well, it makes me happy.”
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